Page 69 - Copshaholm Curriculum Book_2015

Architectural Elements Give a Place Its Own Unique Character

Lesson Plan
Grades 4-6

Through this project, the teacher will help students learn how to solve problems in the
design of a building; to examine America’s architectural styles as an expression of
ethnic diversity, geography, and natural resources; and to look at how materials and
structural properties affect architectural form.

1. Introduction
a. Objective: What do architects do? With whom do they work? What do they
think about?

b. Activity:

1. Show pictures or slides of a building under construction, examples of
unusual buildings, and historic structures. Explain who architects
work with and show some architect’s tools (or pictures of).

2. Students sit in a circle and one at a time are blindfolded. The
blindfolded student is given material used in a building—stone, brick,
insulation, roofing materials, etc…--and has to guess what it is and
what it is used for.

c. Materials:
1. Slides and architectural tools, including templates, t-square, triangles,
hard hat, etc…
2. Sample of building materials
3. Scarf or blindfold

d. Homework: Students are to think about what their dream house would be
and how it would be furnished.

2. Be an Architect
a. Objective: Students play the role of an architect and begin to think about
what they need to design their dream house.

b. Activity:

1. Bring in examples of architectural drawings and spread them out on
the floor. Talk about the different drawings and what each one
shows.

2. Students write a description of their dream house and exchange
descriptions with another student who acts as the architect. Students